Environmental Officer, Ms. Pearline George, said that the initiative is a collaborative effort between the Conservation and Fisheries Department, the National Parks Trust and the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society with “many thanks to the Governor’s Office for their role in funding the workshop through theOverseas Territories Programme Fund.”

“I am very excited to see the efforts made by persons who truly care for our environment and our habitats. Birds are excellent indicators of environmental health so it is of great importance that we make every effort to preserve the natural habitats of these essential creatures,” she said.

She later noted that “bird monitoring” was something that the department had practiced for several years, but she was grateful for “the inspired evolution of this task.” 

The objectives of the Programme include; conserving and restoring the distribution, diversity and abundance of birds and their habitats through effective monitoring; to establish and implement proper guidelines to conduct bird monitoring activities in the British Virgin Islands and to sensitise the public on the importance of birds in the British Virgin Islands through outreach programmes.

Workshop facilitators included Dr. Louise Soanes, Mrs. Nancy Pascoe, Ms. Susan Zaluski, Mr. Clive Petrovic, Ms. Atoya George and Mrs. Tessa Smith-Claxton.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour strives to effectively manage and administer the Territory’s natural resources in a manner that ensures long-term sustainability.